The present invention is directed to a folding operator walkway for a seeding machine, wherein the walkway is automatically folded when the seeding machine is moved from its working position to its transport position and automatically unfolded as the seeding machine moves back to its working position.
Agricultural implements, like seeding machines, have a wide transverse working configuration so that the machine covers as much ground as possible in a single pass. Typically, the seeding machine can be folded from its working configuration to a more manageable transport configuration.
Some seeding machines are provided with a frame having a central main frame segment and two wing frame segments. The central main frame segment is provided with a forwardly extending tow bar for coupling the machine to a tractor. The wing frame segments are pivotally coupled to the main frame by fore/aft extending axes so that the wings can flex relative to the main frame to allow the wing frames to more closely follow the contour of the ground. Individual planting units are mounted to the frame segments by parallelogram linkages so that the planting units can move a limited amount up and down relative to the respective frame segment. One method of folding the frame of the seeding machine described above is to forwardly fold the wings along the tow bar.
To plant on more closely spaced rows it is known to interleave the planting units. All of the planting units can be used to plant a narrow row crop, or selective planting units can be raised to planter a wider row crop.
It is also known to pivot planting units on their noses from a horizontal planting position to a more vertical non-planting position.
Grain drills and air seeder seeding machines are typically provided with operator walkways to service the seed and chemical hoppers on these machines.
A seeding machine comprises a main frame segment and two wing frame segments. In its working configuration the seeding machine extends transversely. In its transport configuration the wing frame segments are folded forwardly. All three frame segments are provided with interleaved planting units forming a front rank of planting units and a rear rank of planting units. The rear ranks of planting units are mounted to the wing frame segments by pivot arms that extend downwardly and rearwardly from the wing frame segments. The pivot arms are pivotally mounted to the wing frame segments by a rock shaft. The rock shaft is provided with an actuator bell crank that is coupled to a linear actuator for rotating the rock shaft relative to the wing frame segments. The pivot arms have a working position, wherein the planting units are in their working position, and a transport position, wherein the planting units have been pivoted on their noses into their substantially vertical transport position. By rotating the planting units of the wing frame segments on their noses the transport width of the seeding machine is reduced.
The frame segments are provided with banks of individual seed hoppers. The individual seed hoppers feed seed to the planting units through flexible tubes. One tube extends between each planting unit and each individual seed hopper. The flexible tubes feed seed to the rear rank of planting units on the wing frame segments are supported on a transversely extending tube support. The tube support is mounted to a link that is pivotally coupled to its respective wing frame segment. When the pivot arms are in their working position the link rests on the rock shafts. When the pivot arms are raised to their transport position the tube support contacts the pivot arms, and is raised by the pivot arms. The tube support prevents the supported flexible tubes from kinking as the rear rank of planting units is raised.
The frame segments are also provided with an operator walkway permitting the operator to access the seed hoppers when the seeding machine is in its working configuration. On the wing frame segments, the operator walkway comprises a walkway frame that is pivotally coupled to the wing frame segments and a footboard that is pivotally coupled to the walkway frame. The rock shaft is provided with a driven bell crank that is coupled to a lift link extending between the driven bell crank and the walkway frame. The lift link is provided with a lost motion slot. As the rock shaft is rotated by the linear actuator the driven bell crank moves the lift link upwardly. Because of the lost motion slot in the lift link, the walkway frame is not immediately lifted. Further rotation of the rock shafts start the pivoting motion of the walkway frames relative to the wing frame segments. Additional rotation causes bumpers mounted on the planting units to come into contact with the footboard and rotate the footboard relative to the walkway frame. In the seeding machine""s final transport configuration the footboard is sandwiched between the planting units and the seed hoppers.